Crawford Country Day
by imagine011
Summary: AU. Quinn transfers to an all-girl boarding school, tired of her post-pregnancy life at McKinley. Unknown to her, Rachel had already transferred there at the beginning of the year, her fathers wanting her to evade bullying. From bunnyearsberry's tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. : As a reader, I normally always skip those, for obvious reason, but you know, just have some stuff to say. So this story doesn't come from my imagination, I'm not that good. It comes from a ramble I saw on bunnyearsberry's tumblr. So all credit for that prompt goes to her. And I should mention as well that the only reason that this is even being written, is that my school (my student's association really but whatever) is on strike. So I am not aloud to go to class and I am pretty bored. Since I study creative writing I thought I would occupy my time by writing creatively! Except in english... You see, I actually study Création littéraire, you know, in french. So yeah, english is not my first language so feel free to point out any mistakes I made. Tell me if it's worth something, if I should continue or not.**

Quinn looked out from the passenger's seat window, her forehead resting against the cool glass. Trees passed rapidly before her eyes, looking naked without their leaves. She always hated that time of the year. That sort of "in between" stage that was the month of November. The warm days were pretty much over but no snow was yet to be seen. Already tired of school yet holidays appeared so far away. It had always been her dark month.

Maybe it's why she suddenly decided that she had enough of McKinley, why she couldn't endure the looks, the whispers, the way people went out of their way to not cross her path. Not in the nice way of her head cheerleader days. No, more like she had a disease, as if her fall from grace was contagious.

Of course, some people had wanted to help her, members of the Glee club. Not anyone that mattered, because she had alienated Finn and Puck the year before, and Santana and Brittany never really spoke to her once she was off the Cheerios. So she was left with the others, the losers, to defend her honor. Which wasn't much since the only one of those who had an ounce of courage and self-respect had never showed up for the first day of school in September.

Rachel Berry. Nobody knew were she had gone. Some say that she left for New York, had auditions and was lined up for something big on Broadway. Those were the nice ones. Others were barely concerned farther than being relieved the faggots' spawn had left.

What Quinn was sure of was that she had gotten out. And that is exactly what she intended to do.

"Quinn, honey, are you alright?"

That was Judy, her mother. The newest version of her mother, anyway. The one who cared about her well-being, who was treating her drinking problem and the one she could talk to. It hurt to leave that mom behind.

"Yeah, I'm good." Quinn replied without turning around.

Her mother was obviously not satisfied with the answer and tried digging deeper.

"I know we've talked about this a lot but it is still time to change your mind if you're not sure."

Quinn took off her eyes from the road to concentrate on the woman beside her. Her mom had her bottom lip caught in her teeth, a habit her daughter picked up at an early age.

"No, I am sure. I guess I just wished I could be closer to you"

"Well, there were schools nearest home. This is the one you preferred. At least, that's what I understood…"

"Lima is no home to me, you know that. No anymore, not since…"

Quinn trailed off, her hand on her stomach a clear indicator to what she meant. She shook herself, willing those thoughts away and spoke again.

"I just need to be as far as I can be from that place. But not from you. I'm sorry you're going to be alone there."

"Oh honey, you knew I couldn't move. I just got the real estate job in Lima. I don't have the time or the money to look for somewhere else to live or another work place. The only reason we can afford for you to go to this school is because of the divorce alimony."

"I know, I know. It just sucks."

Quinn fell silent again; eyes on her lap looking at her joined hands. Her mother let go of the wheel to take one in hers.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright. We'll call and e-mail. And the holidays are not that far, you'll get to come visit me. Anyway, soon enough you'll have plenty of friends and I'll be glad to even hear from you once in a while. Just promise me you won't forget your old mother."

Judy took her eyes off the road to send her a smile that Quinn returned right away.

"I won't, I promise."

"That's good, because we're already here."

Their car pulled up in front of a stone building. It was seven stories high, at least from the windows Quinn could count on the facade. Crawford Country Day was written in an arch above the double wooden doors that were three steps away from the ground.

The structure sat in a vast park. Absorbed in her mother, Quinn had miss the large trees lining the way up to the school, but now she paid attention to them and couldn't help but wonder how they would look alive and in bloom. Her eyes traveled around and she noticed that another pavilion seemed attached to the main building, to her right, on the west side. It was in the same style has the other but was obviously more recent, although the oldest part looked like it could have been build in the 1850's so the newest part could as well have more than a hundred years old. Despite the age, everything came across as well kept, clean and lived in.

She couldn't see anything else from were she was but she imagined there to be quite more space and maybe even other buildings behind the ones she had noticed.

"Are you ready?" Judy disrupted her observations.

"I guess." Quinn replied, still taking everything in.

"Well now, that's not the enthusiasm I'd hope to see."

Quinn turned and smiled. "Let's go!" She got out of the car and waited her mom to join her.

"So, what do we think so far?" Judy said while walking around the vehicle.

"Looks nice." They were now side by side but neither made a move toward the front doors. Judy was holding her purse tightly and Quinn had both hands deep inside her rear pockets.

"Should we bring your luggage inside?"

"Not yet, I don't want to be stuck carrying it around if they decide to give us a tour."

"You're right, of course they would want to give you a tour."

Quinn noticed a small tremor in her mother's voice that made her face her.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

The young girl was suddenly engulfed in a hug. Taken a back, it took her a few seconds to reciprocate. She closed her eyes, enjoying the comforting arms and scent of the woman who was her only family left. They parted but left their arms around each other.

"I'm fine. I'm just going to miss you a whole lot. But I'm fine! My crazy mom moment has passed, so you won't have to fear me embarrassing you in front of your new comrades."

"Mom, you don't embarrass me. But don't say comrades, it sounds weird."

"A bit to communist? Should I say colleagues? They can't be considered your friends yet, no? You know what, I just won't refer to them, much more simple."

"You do that." Quinn bit back her laugh at her mother's antics.

"Now, shall we head inside?"

"Yes _mother_, we _shall_."

The two blondes marched confidently to the doors, both ready to begin this new chapter in their lives.

"Mom, you don't need to hold my hand."

"Sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Quinn noticed once inside was that the ceiling was high. Ridiculously so. Like six-times-her-own-height high. Her eyes automatically made their way upwards. It was all made of wood with large beam for support that were crossing themselves perpendicularly. She could only hope there would be no fire during her time there.

The front doors they came through brought them inside a hall that went all the way across the building. From where they were standing, they could see the windows on the other side, still a good fifty feet away, open to a large field accommodated for different sports. Quinn could see a soccer field, a track and farther away, something that look like baseball, or softball field.

They took a few steps inside on the broad flagstones the floor was made of. It wasn't marble, or anything like that, but it was a nice light grey, very pleasing to the eye. One of the stone near the center of the room was engraved. The inscription read: St-Colette's School for Girls founded in 1867 _Operantes in amore et sapientia_. Quinn had made her research and she knew that the school renamed itself in the 1980's due to the fact that no sisters taught there anymore, and probably to broaden their cultural horizon as well. But they did keep the original values of the community: hard work, love and wisdom.

Portraits and pictures lined up the walls. Probably famous alumni that graduated from the school. There were a few boards that spelled the names of honorary students, or winning teams.

She turned to her mom who was taking in the details as well. Once she noticed her daughter looking her way, she smiled.

"Now I understand why that school cost so much."

"Yeah, and the fact that it's always ranked in the country's top 30 academically has nothing to do with it."

"That must help also. Where to now?"

"Mom, you are aware that this is my first time here too, right?"

"Oh yes, sorry, it's just that I'm a bit disoriented."

The two blonde women looked around again, trying to get an indication as to where they should go. There was a corridor on their left and one on their right as well as a large staircase on that side. It led an overhead balcony that seemed to be part of the second floor, sort of like a bridge between the two parts of the building divided by the great hall. Quinn realized it meant the hall's ceiling was two stories high.

"What do you think, up?" Judy asked.

"I think our best bet is this way." Quinn pointed to the corridor on their left.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's written _Administration_ above it."

"Good thinking. See, I always knew you were bright, you'll fit right in."

Judy walked with a decided pace towards the archway, leaving Quinn behind to roll her eyes and follow her mother.

Their research were quickly over because the first thing they encountered was a large counter on their right and behind was a woman who must have been in her fifties. She was occupied with her computer and didn't notice the two blonde women at first. Judy cleared her throat. Nothing. She tried again. Still no response.

"Excuse me."

Startled, the woman brought a hand to her heart and finally turned around.

"Dear, I really didn't see you there, you both scared the death out of me."

Quinn looked perplexed.

"Don't we usually say: scared the life out of me?"

The woman got up from her chair, came closer to her and gave her all her attention.

"I always thought that expression made no sense. When your heart jumps like that, isn't it a clear sign that you're alive?"

Quinn's eyebrows bunched while she took in what the woman said.

"I guess. I've never seen it that way."

"Don't worry about it. Now, what are you two lovelies here for?"

She looked between the two of them. Judy put an arm around her daughter's shoulder spoke up again.

"We are here for her. She is transferring an another school."

The woman's eyes lit up in understanding. She sat back in her chair and browsed paper on her desk.

"Ah, yes! We were waiting for you. I have everything you need right here, somewhere, if I can find it…"

She went through her whole desk, lifting papers, the phone and even her keyboard.

"Where did I put that thing?"

She stopped searching. Her index went to her temple as her eyes closed. Then, suddenly, she shot up straight and went to her sorter.

"Of course, I put it right there to be sure I wouldn't forget it."

She took the folder that was sitting by itself on top of the furniture.

"All right, Fabray, is it?"

"Yes, Quinn Fabray."

She put the folder on the counter and opened it explaining what everything was.

"So in here you've got your basic schedule. It goes from 8am to 2pm with an hour at lunch. It's all the classes you already chose. For the rest of the afternoon, until 5, you will have to choose one art and one sport class. Here, this is the list of your choices and where they take place in the school, so you can try whichever you'd like before you make your decision. We do ask that you hand in your choices for next Monday."

Quinn glance at the list briefly but noted that cheerleading was not one of the sports she could take part of. _Great_, she thought, _I'm gonna be the new girl that nobody wants on their team. I've never tried anything else, what if I suck?_

"Quinn, are you listening to the lady?" Her mother brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, of course, sorry."

"It's quite alright my dear. Now, we've included a plan of the campus. It's not that big but it can be intimidating for new girls. We are here right now. In this wing you'll find most of your daily classes. The others will all be in the Matthews where you'll also find the library. This building is where the rooms are, with the cafeteria. Over here you've got the gyms and the training room, and the Belleville is the arts pavilion."

Quinn's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"You guys have a whole pavilion for arts?"

"Yes, well the original school was a lot smaller and its vocation changed a bit to include a heavy accents on arts and sports and not just academics. So they build an auditorium, which was required anyway because there were to many students to still do the school's gathering in Charity Hall, and at the same time they added music rooms and smaller practice rooms for drama etc. Anyway, back in the present, this is the school's rulebook. It is required for you to read it carefully and once you've done that, we ask you to sign this here."

"Am I selling my soul here?"

"Lucy Quinn Fabray! Don't be so condescending!" Her mother said indignantly.

"Sorry, it just seems so formal."

"It's just a contract of sort that you make with the school so we know that if you break any of the rules, you've done it knowing what you were engaging yourself into."

"That is a very sensible thing to do." Judy agreed.

"Inside, there's basically all the information about the inner workings of this place, like what time curfew is and how to have authorization to leave school grounds, etc. So, do you have any questions so far?"

Quinn thought about it. She did have questions, lots of them, but she didn't know by which end to start. Anyway, most of them she'd rather ask to a student.

"Where do I put my luggage?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N.: Thank you all for the respond and the reviews. It's really encouraging. And I'm glad I have bunnyearsberry's blessing. I'll try to write a thousand words every other day, at least for the duration of the strike (don't worry, doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon...).**

Quinn threw herself face first on her bed, already exhausted from the day. And it was only 5. Her mother had just left, after helping her get her suitcase and bags to her room. She wanted to help her get settled but Quinn encouraged her to get back on the road since she had a few hours to go before being back in Lima. Their goodbyes went surprisingly well, considering how her mother acted earlier in the day. Quinn, ever the good daughter, promise to write everything that happened in school. After a reminder that Judy was only a phone call (and a 4 hour drive) away, mother and daughter separated with a simple hug.

So she was now completely alone. Quinn hadn't met her roommate yet, nor anybody else except the receptionist anyway (her name turned out to be Linda). She had seen a couple of girls in the halls and common room but wasn't given the occasion to speak to them. With her mother and her bag in tow, she couldn't very well settle down for a conversation with anyone. She was excited to start anew with people who didn't know anything about her and couldn't judge her. She had received a couple of looks, but only in the intrigued-by-the-new-girl way.

She was beginning to second-guess her decision to register on a Sunday. She couldn't believe she had to be in class the next morning already. She had wanted to have a last weekend with her mom, but now, being here, she only wished she had a few more hours to familiarized herself with school grounds. She had the whole evening but she didn't feel comfortable going out in the dark yet. She didn't know the place after all. Anything could be lurking out there.

Quinn closed her eyes in an attempt to rest a little before dinner. It started at 6:30 every night, as it said in the rulebook. She had read part of it with her mom, before she left, both intrigued at what it contained. Nothing outrageous came out of it and they were both glad to learn about the zero tolerance policy towards bullying. She could only hoped it got respected.

When she opened her eyes, she was faced with a wall. It took her a second to remember where she was. Once she did, she looked at her watch quickly. 6 o'clock. Well at least she hadn't missed dinner. Her stomach growled telling her how bad that would have been.

"So you are alive! They told me I was getting a roommate, not a corpse!"

Quinn jumped up from her bed. Too fast, she had just woken up after all. She sat back down facing the girl who was in the bed next to her. She had short hair, almost like a boy's but the haircut was stylishly feminine. It was light brown, just like her eyes that were alight with mirth and framed with glasses. She was sitting against the wall her bed was pushed upon with a book in her hand. Before Quinn could see what it was, she was brought out of her observation.

"Hey there, are you still sleeping?"

"No, no, sorry." Quinn said, still trying to shake out the sleep fog that had taken control of her brain.

"No worries."

The girl scooted on her bed and sat at the edge of it, closer to where Quinn was. "You got a little something here." She pointed to the corner of her mouth. Quinn mirrored her, and touched something wet. Crunching her nose, she used the edge of her sleeve to wipe the drool.

"Sorry 'bout that. I just lied down for a second and than, you know, sleep happened."

The girl laughed. Quinn rolled her eyes inwardly. _Fantastic, not only do I look like an idiot, but now I sound like one too._

"You are going to be tons of fun, I bet."

Quinn smiled sheepishly, not really knowing what to say. The girl threw her book next to her pillow and offered her hand.

"I'm Kyle. You're roommate. In case that fact wasn't clear by me inhabiting the bed next to yours."

Quinn grinned more naturally at that and took the hand to shake it.

"Quinn."

Once they released each other's hand, Kyle settled her head in her palm, resting her elbow on her knee. She was the picture of attentiveness and curiosity.

"Soooo, where are you from?"

"I'm from Ohio. The most boring state in the country."

"Ah, I think we'll get along just fine. I'm from Missouri, the runner up for that title. Luckily I don't ever have to go there anymore."

"Why's that?"

"My parents moved. I am free from any Missourian roots!"

Quinn shook her head in understanding. She was still adjusting to the happy energy that came off her roommate. She seemed so normal and open, no dark secret hunting her past, totally unguarded. It was oddly refreshing and Quinn could feel herself starting to relax with every minute passing.

"You're not the talkative kind, are you?"

"Yeah, sorry, it's just been a long day. Lost of changes and all."

"It's alright, you don't have to excuse yourself. Just, don't blame me for being curious. In fact, better get used to it. I've been asked all day if I had seen my new roommate yet, if I knew where you where from and what you looked like."

"You guys don't get a lot of fresh meat, do you?"

"No, we do, just not usually in the middle of semester."

"Ah."

That was the only thing Quinn answered to that. She could see that Kyle wanted to know more but she wasn't ready to offer it. She wanted that blank slate she came here for and she wouldn't get it if she started to spill everything on her first day. She tried to bring the conversation elsewhere.

"How come you didn't have anyone in the room with you before?"

Kyle took note of the change but went with it. Quinn was relieved she didn't press further.

"Yeah, you're kind of ruining my solo lifestyle here." Kyle got very serious. "But there was someone here before you."

"What happened to her?"

"She died."

The air grew thick, the silence heavy. Kyle was staring at her, almost going to her soul. Quinn became very uncomfortable, trying to speak but her mouth wouldn't let out any sound. She tried to avoid the eyes looking at her but couldn't.

Suddenly, the corner of Kyle's mouth turned up and she was rolling on her bed, exploding in laughter.

"Geez, I'm kidding! This is not a horror movie! Oh my god, you should have seen your face."

Quinn let out the air she didn't know she had been holding and couldn't help but smile at the, now snorting, girl who was vainly trying to regain control of her face.

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't help it. I know it's not funny, sorry."

She was still fighting to get her breath back trough her hysteria. Quinn let out a few chuckle.

"You really had me going."

"I know!"

She was inhaling deeply, having almost recuperated. But she just had to look up to Quinn and than was lost again, bringing the blonde with her.

It took them a few minutes to an almost-normal post-hilarity state. Once they had managed to control themselves, Kyle spoke up again.

"Still scared of the big bad new school now?"

"Nope, now I'm only scared of you. I don't know if that's any better, 'though."

"As if! I'm the most inoffensive person you'll ever meet. You can not be afraid of someone with glasses under five foot three, that's like, impossible."

"You're not that small!" Quinn looked her up and down in surprise.

"Considering we've been sitting ever since we met, I don't think you can judge that."

"Well you don't look small."

Kyle's eyebrows furrowed. "Thanks, I guess. Is that suppose to be a compliment?"

Quinn shrugged and laughed at the same time. She was glad her and Kyle seemed to get along so well, even if it hadn't been a long time since they met. She hoped it would last; it would be so much easier to settle in school with someone on her side. They kept talking for a few minutes until one of them noticed they had to get to the cafeteria if they wanted to eat that night. Quinn got nervous, thinking of all the new faces she would encounter. She didn't want to be the center of attention; she'd had enough of that.

Noticing she seemed unsure, Kyle tried to cheer her up.

"Relax, I won't let you face the wolf alone. You're gonna eat with my friends and I and after, we'll show you around. So you don't have to be alone for the rest of the night."

"Thanks, you don't have to do that, but I appreciate it."

"I want to, you're not so bad once you're properly woken up."

"Haha, funny." Quinn got up from her bed. "Come on, let's go."

Kyle took the lead and headed for the door, Quinn right behind her.

"You really _are_ ridiculously small!"

**A.N.: Me again! I just wanted to apologize for Rachel absence. **I swear she is part of the story, I'm not leading you on. Depending on if I decide to write the rest of the evening, she will either be in chapter four or five.****


	4. Chapter 4

Quinn opened the door to her dorm room. Taking a look inside, she was glad to notice she was alone. She really liked Kyle and couldn't have hoped for a better roommate, but it was nice to get a few seconds alone. Since the night before, she was always surrounded by new faces and it was exhausting.

Sunday night, when she went to the cafeteria, she got to meet Kyle's friends. They were a nice group and she was relieved that they accepted her right away without asking to many questions. There were a lot of other people there who gave her curious looks but they left her alone since she was seated with friends. A few of Kyle's acquaintances came by to say welcome but none was too intrusive and they left just as quickly as they came.

After the meal, the students either went studying in their rooms or gathered in one of the common room. Quinn went to the Rest, which was the name people gave to the one closest to her room. It was nice and cozy, just small enough so that it wasn't intimidating, and big enough that it didn't feel weirdly intimate. There were a few couches, a TV and a coffee machine. She was told that some of the bigger rooms had a pool or foosball table but they were on a different floor. She didn't stay long because she wanted to go to bed early.

When she got up the next morning, she discovered the joy of common bathrooms shared with at least ten other girls. She rapidly decided that she would have to shorten her routine, if she wanted to survive the morning chaos. She let out a relieved sigh when she came back to her room, to the hilarity of Kyle who had already warned her.

"Ah! Never again will you doubt my wise words."

That earned her an hazeled eye roll.

The rest of the morning went by in a blur. Breakfast, classes, introductions, nothing she didn't expect. She had to go in front of the class three different times to tell her name, where she came from and things she liked to do. By a sheer stroke of luck, she had one or two of Kyle's friends in each of her classes, and Kyle herself in two of those. Bless were the gods of scheduling. At least she was never completely alone with strangers.

Lunch hour came and that is how she found herself in her dorm room, taking a breather from the life around her. She still wasn't done unpacking, and she thought it would be a peaceful way to pass the time before her classes of the afternoon. She had barely started when the door opened behind her. Her roommate came in and dropped her books on her bed.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Quinn stopped what she was doing to face Kyle who was looking around for something.

"Nothing, just, you know, sorting through my stuff."

"Ok, are you coming to lunch?"

Quinn shook her head.

"No, I'm not really hungry, I just thought I'd stay here and relax until next class."

Kyle found the notes she wanted with a resounding "Ah ha!" and turned around to face Quinn.

"Ok, as long as you don't faint on the court later" she joked, reminding the blonde of her promise to attend basketball with her roommate.

"Don't worry, I'll still kick your ass, I'm sure." Quinn smirked confidently.

"Right… says the girl who's never played. I'd like to see you try."

"Just watch me."

Kyle laughed it off and asked Quinn if she had chosen her arts for the afternoon.

"I'm not sure yet, I've never been really on the artistic side." She chose not to speak of her foray into pornographic drawings. Another thing that would stay at McKinley.

"Well did you do anything at your old school?"

"I was in our Glee Club for a while… You guys have one here too, right? I thought maybe I'd go check it out."

"Cool, but you should know they kinda suck. They've never won anything. Was your old one any good?"

"I think we had potential. We won our Sectionals. 'Though I'm pretty sure the only reason we got that far was because of a girl in the club."

"What, she was the only one who could sing?"

"No, but she was the most dedicated person, sometimes to an irritating point" Quinn chuckled, reminiscing the fire in Rachel Berry's eyes. "She was willing to work for it, you know? It was her passion and she didn't want anyone ruining it for her."

Kyle laughed at the description. "Wow, she sounds like a pain."

Quinn grinned again. "Yeah, she was. But in the end she was the spirit of the team. She never came back at the beginning of the year and it showed, you know? It was like, every rehearsal we had lost its purpose because nobody did the assignments, no one fought for solos anymore. It was just, dead, I guess. I wonder what happened to her…" Quinn got lost in herself at that point.

Noticing she wasn't going to continue, Kyle tried binging her back to the conversation.

"You mean you don't know?"

Quinn hummed, back in the present and shook her head.

"No idea. Rachel, she didn't have any good friend, so nobody knows. Obviously she got out. Good for her. She'd always been to special for Lima." Again, Quinn drifted off.

Kyle smirked at her roommate. "Well, well, look who's got a little crush."

Quinn eyes widen has she took in what had just been said.

"What? What do you…? No I don't! I'm just saying, you know… I mean, not special to me… like generally speaking…" Quinn stammered, trying to put together a sentence that made sense while Kyle's smirk got even bigger.

"Right, and who's a bumbling idiot over their _lost lover_?" Kyle said using a teasingly sensual voice.

Quinn face turned a red never before seen on a human being. "Shut up. She is not my…" Quinn looked around as if someone could jump out of nowhere, listening to their conversation, and whispered "lover."

Kyle exploded in laughter at her roommate's boiling crimson face. The blush even spread out to her neck and chest. Quinn was still mumbling "shut up" but couldn't bring herself to look up from her suddenly very interesting shoes.

Still hiccupping through her laughter, Kyle made her way to the door.

"Right, well I'm gonna leave you to that. I'm sure you have lots to do, in your room thinking about _Rachel_," she said still using that stupid tone of voice. She opened the door and when she was halfway through it she couldn't help but to add: "Just stay off my bed if you do some more, hum, _active_ thinking."

The pillow Quinn threw hit the already closed door.

A few hours later, Quinn still couldn't shake off what Kyle had said to her. On her way to where the Glee Club was meeting, she didn't notice anything around her, obsessing about the debate going on in her mind.

_I don't have a crush on Rachel Berry, of all people. She is annoying and loud. A loser. And a girl_.

**With very nice boobs. And legs. And a beautiful mouth… I wonder what she can do with it…**

_Who the hell are you?_

**Me? I'm your sex drive.**

_I thought you didn't exist._

**Who's fault is that?**

_What do you mean? You never showed up around Finn or Puck._

**I wonder why that is… Dumbass.**

_Just get out of my head. You're disturbing my process._

**Of what? Trying to convince yourself, yet again that you don't like Rachel Berry.**

_I don't! There is nothing that I like about her._

**Except the fact that you want to jump her.**

_I do NOT want to jump her._

**I do.**

_Oh shut up! Nobody ask you!_

**Your pussy did.**

_Ew, what? Now you just sound like Santana Lopez._

**Calling it like I feel it.**

_Well it stops now. Anyway I haven't seen her in months and never will again._

_Ah! You've got nothing to answer that, do you?_

Quinn heard music, stopping the voices in her head for the moment. She shook herself and followed it, figuring she was on the right path. The music got louder and she thought she could recognize the song, put she couldn't put a name on it yet.

Turning a corner, she could hear the tune distinctly now. And she was very confused. She recognized the song now, boy, did she. The lyrics were pretty explicit. She couldn't believe the girls were aloud to sing THAT for a school class. At least they didn't sound as bad as Kyle made them to be. Especially the lead who had a voice that…

Oh no.

Shit.

She knew that voice.

She'd know it anywhere.

_It can't be…_

Quinn stopped in front of the open door and looked inside.

There, standing on chair, with a dozen girls dancing wildly around her, was Rachel Berry. THE Rachel Berry belting it out to the rhythm of _Lady Marmalade._

Quinn was immobilized; she couldn't believe she was there. Here. In her new school. Her new beginning was dozed with a blast from the past. Before she couldn't even think about moving forward or running away, Rachel's eyes met hers.

_Shit._

Rachel stopped dancing for her second, while the other girls were still giving it there best. Someone else had taken over the vocals but Quinn didn't notice whom, still fixed on Rachel who was now coming down from her chair and walking towards her.

_Shit, shit, what should I do, what now?_

**Don't ask me, you didn't want my help earlier.**

She didn't even get a chance to tell that voice to shut up because a soft hand took hers and she was pulled inside. She was taken to the group of girls who hadn't stopped dancing and were encouraging her to join them.

Rachel hadn't let go of her hand. She used it to twirled Quinn around and bring her closer. Gazing in the chocolate swirls that were Rachel's eyes, the blonde couldn't help but dance with the brunette, accepting the unspoken invitation.

Rachel opened her lovely mouth, never giving up the contact she had with Quinn. "Voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ce soir?" she sung, looking straight into hazel eyes.

Quinn gulped.

_Fuck, I'm screwed._

**Ooooh yeah!**


	5. Chapter 5

The music had died down and now there were quite a few pair of eyes that were looking in her direction. Including a dark chocolate one that she knew well. _Too _well for her to be comfortable in this situation. Rachel had let go of her hand somewhere during the song to go sing with some random redhead. Not that Quinn had noticed or anything. But she was now highly aware that she somehow wound up standing alone in front of the group. Weren't there girls beside her not two seconds ago? Not anymore apparently.

_Ok, this is getting awkward, why is no one saying anything. Isn't there usually a teacher to take the lead in these sort of situation?_

Apparently not. There were only girls in uniforms here, no adult looking type of person.

"So… Is this the Glee Club?" Quinn wished she could take back the words already. Dumb question. And she wasn't the only one to think so.

"No, we just sing here, when we should be in class. Seems like an appropriate thing to do." A few girls laughed. That was the redheaded girl that stole Rachel's attention earlier. She smiled to show she was joking around. She had a gap between her two front teeth that she managed to make look quirky but beautiful. Quinn didn't care for her right away.

"Sorry, I'm new and I just wanted to make sure. I'm Quinn."

"Yeah, Quinn who's seventeen, likes to read and has an older sister." The redhead was still smiling as she said that. "I'm in three of your classes and you've been repeating the same thing all day."

"I'm boring like that, I guess." Quinn went to put her hands in her pocket, only to realize that her uniform skirt didn't have any. So she continued the movement and awkwardly brushed the side of her hips, hoping no one noticed. But she could see by the way Rachel's lips turned upwards that at least one person had.

"I'm Devin by the way." The redhead – Devin – broke the silence again.

_What is she, their spokeswoman?_

Rachel still hadn't said anything. Which was unusual, to say the least. She had turned around and was going through her backpack, completely disinterested. Quinn furrowed her brows in confusion. She had half-expected her to start blurting about their shared history as soon as the song was over. Quinn had calculated how far was the door and how fast she could get Rachel out before talks of cheerleading, slushies and pregnancy came around. No emergency plan was needed yet, it seemed. Quinn was still on her guard. You never knew when the loud-mouthed Barbra lover would strike.

But she didn't. The period went by faster then Quinn thought it would. The teacher was indeed absent that day and had forewarned her students by giving them a few scale exercise and telling them to work on the different voices in the new song they had learned the week before. Which was not _Lady Marmelade_, as it turned out. The girls were slowly getting ready to leave, and Quinn still didn't know what to do. Should she speak to Rachel, or run for her life? The brunette was talking to Bavin, whatever her name was, again.

_As if they hadn't talked enough during the whole class._

**Jealous?**

_Who asked you?_

Quinn decided that she had to talk to Rachel, even if only to beg/threaten not to say a thing about their past high school. She tried to put herself in Rachel's eyesight, so she would notice her, but she seemed really absorbed in her conversation with Gap-Teeth. So Quinn came forward and interrupted them.

"Berry, I need to talk to you." Quinn mentally face-palmed.

_Way to sound nice._

"You guys know each other?"

"Quinn is an old acquaintance that, I have to admit, I thought I would never see again. We have to catch up so if you'll excuse us Devin, we'll get right to that. I will, however, see you later tonight." Rachel said all that not once looking at Quinn.

Devin smiled to the brunette and asked: "Do you want me to wait for you to go to dinner later on?"

"Don't worry, I'll be just fine, I'll meet you there to eat. I have been here for a while now, I think I know my way around the school by now," Rachel said with a teasing smile, one that Quinn had never seen on the other girl's face. She had to admit, it suited her.

Devin left after saying goodbye to both girls. Rachel watched her leave and then turn to face Quinn. She realized it was the first time the brunette looked her in the eyes since that moment they shared during the song. Quinn gulped looking in the dark brown eyes. She couldn't remember what she had wanted to say. So she didn't say anything. Rachel had crossed her arms and was looking at her expectantly. Still, no word came out of the blonde's mouth.

"Since you don't seem in such a rush to talk to me now, I will start. I have been at this school for a little over two months now. The girls are nice and I can confidently say that at least a few of them like me. I have friends here and I don't intend for that to change. So, I would ask you to not destroy what I have tried to build for myself here and in return, I will keep to any unfortunate stories I know about you."

Quinn's mouth was slightly open. She was not expecting the rant that she just heard.

"Are you trying to negotiate with me?" Those were the first words that cam to her.

"I don't believe there is anything to negotiate. You obviously have some things you would like to escape, if your transfer in the middle of the semester means anything, and I just want to continue my school year peacefully, without any rude nicknames haunting my steps." Rachel had her arms still crossed in front of her and was waiting for Quinn to speak.

The blonde was shocked. She didn't know what she thought their reunion would be like but she couldn't have imagined anything like this: Rachel Berry, taking control of the situation and setting her rules and actually expecting Quinn to follow them. Not that Quinn wouldn't. They weren't unreasonable. Quinn had left that part of her personality in Lima and didn't want it to follow her around. She also thought she had left everyone who knew about her, so the transition should have been easier. Easier than having to see a reminder of who she used to be everyday.

"Look, Rachel, about that, I'm sorry, I didn't mean half of it and I didn't know it would turn out so bad."

"Let's not do this, Quinn, that's an insult to both our intelligence. I have already made my peace with everything that happened at McKinley, and I realized that there was nothing else for me there. And, like you I'm sure, I didn't expect for us to be in this situation right now. We just have to keep a reasonable distance between us at all times and maybe we can even forget the other is attending this school." Rachel spoke more to herself now and almost didn't realize that Quinn interrupted her.

"I don't want that." The words rushed out of Quinn mouth without her being able to do anything about it.

Silence followed the affirmation.

"What do you mean?" Rachel looked at her curiously.

"I just, you know, don't want that, that thing about us avoiding each other and it just seems complicated for nothing, I mean with the Glee club and…"

"So you're staying in Glee club?" Rachel had uncrossed her arms and was fiddling with the strap of her backpack.

"Well, yeah, I guess." Quinn didn't know what else to say.

"You are aware that there are quite a few other options for you I could even point out those I think would benefit…"

Quinn interrupted another impending rant: "I know. I just don't know what else to do."

Rachel looked at her pointedly: "Well, if you had let me finish I would have told you that surely something else could spark your interest."

"No, I mean, there isn't anything else I'm good at."

Rachel looked shocked. "Oh." That was the only thing that came out.

Quinn didn't know how to feel about a speechless Rachel. "Not that I am really good at Glee club anyway, you said yourself that I tend to go sharp and I spent half of last year not really dancing because of the baby and my range is not, you know, well like you or anything."

Rachel was still mute but her eyes were following Quinn closely as she had moved to sit down while speaking. The blonde was looking at the floor.

"But I don't think I would feel comfortable anywhere else. It's the only thing familiar around here."

Rachel seemed indecisive for a few moments, but it didn't last and she sat down next to Quinn, leaving an unoccupied chair between them.

"You realized we would have to see each other everyday, right?"

"I already said I was sor…" Quinn interrupted herself as she looked up and realized Rachel was sporting the same teasing smile she had given that other girl earlier. She hadn't quite evaluated the impact it had, having not been the recipient at the time. But now that it was directed at her, she couldn't help herself. She beamed. A very un-Quinn like smile was gracing her face.

Rachel must have noticed because her own grin transformed itself in a small laugh. Her eyes crinkled and her laughter grew a little louder until she let out a snort. Her right hand covered her mouth and nose as she silenced herself, looking self-conscious for half a second. But Quinn exploded in laughter right beside and Rachel joined her again. And for a moment, it was all there was. Two girls sharing a laugh over something that didn't matter. Quinn thought this was what she was looking for when she choose to leave McKinley. Simplicity. She felt weightless; as if nothing that had happen before really mattered if she could let go like this, right now.

They looked into each other eyes as their hilarity died down. Quinn rose her eyebrow in question.

"So, I guess we're not avoiding each other then."

Rachel was still smiling.

"We'll see."

* * *

><p>A.N. : Sooo, anybody watched the Grammy's last night? Did you see how fabulous Adele was?<p>

I know, there's probably no one that even remember this story, but I sort of re-read it today for the first time in months and I thought: I'd read that story. So I thought maybe I wasn't alone.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to review the pas chapter. This one is for you and because of you. Keep being fabulous.

Love, xxxx


End file.
